Nueces County

Nueces County, Texas

Nueces County, Texas

The Nueces County Courthouse is located in Corpus Christi, the county seat. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.
Nueces County, Texas

Nueces County, Texas

Map of Nueces County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Nueces County is on the Gulf of Mexico southeast of San Antonio. It is bounded on the north by the Nueces River and on the east by the Laguna Madre, Corpus Christi Bay, and Redfish Bay. San Patricio County is on the north border, Jim Wells County on the west, and Kleberg County on the south. The county seat and largest city, Corpus Christi, is 210 miles southwest of Houston and 145 miles southeast of San Antonio. The center of the county lies roughly at 27°44' north latitude and 97°33' west longitude. Two major highways serve the county, Interstate 37 and U.S. Highway 77. Two railroads, the Missouri Pacific and the Texas-Mexican, cross the county.

Nueces County comprises 847 square miles of the Coastal Prairies region. The terrain is generally flat. The elevation ranges from sea level to 180 feet above sea level. In the central part of the county the soil varies from very dark loams to gray or black cracking clayey soils. In the west the soils are light to dark with loamy surfaces and clayey subsoils. In the coastal region the soils are sandy; in marsh areas the soils are also very dark with clayey subsoils. Vegetation varies from cordgrasses, salt grasses, and marsh millet along the coast to tall grasses, oak, prickly pear, acacias, and mesquite trees in the central and western parts of the county. Between 61 and 70 percent of the land in the county is considered prime farmland. The Nueces River drains the northern and western portions of the county, Oso Creek the central portion, and San Fernando and Petronila creeks the southern portion. The climate is humid-subtropical. Temperatures range from an average high of 93° F in July to an average low of 47° in January. The average annual rainfall is thirty inches. The growing season extends for an annual average of 309 days, with the first freeze in December and the last in early February. Crops include sorghum, cotton, hay, corn, wheat, watermelons, peaches, and pecans. Beef and dairy cattle and hogs are raised.

Continue Reading

Christopher Long | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Nueces County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

0 ft – 150 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 838.5 mi²
  • Total Area: 1,165.6 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 46.6°F
July mean maximum: 93.1°F

Rainfall, 2019

32.5 inches

Population Count, 2019

362,294

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

163,183

Unemployment, 2019

10.0%

Property Values, 2019

$35,948,645,399 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$44,378 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$5,555,317,993 USD

Wages, 2019

$2,106,085,395 USD

Nueces County

Highlighted:
  • Nueces County
Loading...
Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town 688 (2021) Yes
Town
Town Yes
Town
Town 425 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 3,155 (2021) Yes
Town 150 (2009) Yes
Town
Town Yes
Town
Town 200 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 317,773 (2021) Yes
Town 673 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 670 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 752 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 87 (2021) Yes
Town 3,105 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 517 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 10,157 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 571 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 489 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 185 (2021) Yes
Town 232 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 160 (2009) Yes
Town
Town

Proud to call Texas home?

Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.


Search Places »